HISTORY OF C & J. HAMPTON

In 1898, two brothers, Charles and Joseph Hampton, left the family business The Steel Nut and Joseph Hampton Limited (trading as Woden) in Wednesbury, Staffordshire, to go to Sheffield and set up their own business in Attercliffe. Their partnership was called "C & J Hampton". Shortly afterwards, Charles and Josepth fell out and Josepth returned to Wednesbury. In about 1900, the two sons of Charles, Horace and Charles W. Hampton joined their father in the business. When C & J Hampton became a private limited company on the 14 May 1908, their premises were located at The Eagle Foundry, Livingston Road, Sheffield. It was at this address one year later that the Record trademark was registered in the Trademark Journal,

From 1909 to 1930 their production consisted of engineering and woodworking vices, G clamps, T bar sash cramps, floor cramps, pipe cutters, Stillson wrenches and lifting jacks. By 1912 the company had relocated to a new factory on Ouse road, Attercliffe, Sheffield and in 1929 Charles Hampton died and his two sons Horace and Charles W Hampton became joint managing directors. The company moved to Bernard Road in 1936 and again, to The Parkway Works Sheffield, in 1963. In 1946 the Record Tool Company Limited was formed to protect the Record brand name. Horace Hampton died in 1948 and the company went public. Charles W Hampton became chairman and his son Tony joined the Board. 10 years later Charles W Hampton died and Tony Hampton became chairman.

The first time Record Adjustable Iron planes were seen was in the No. 10 catalogue January 1931. There were 8 adjustable iron planes from 03 to 08 and three block planes No. 0110, 0120 and 0220. Record marketed these planes as an entirely new British product. Government import tariffs of the late 1920's assisted British manufacturers in combatting the influx of foreign hand planes, mainly from the U.S.A which at that time dominated the market. A "Buy British" campaign was also launched to combat the depression in the United Kingdom during that period.

Record adjustable iron planes numbers 02, 03, 04, 04½, 05, 05½, 06, 07, 08, 010, 010½ and a number of block planes were copies of Stanley Bailey planes of that time. Stanley patents by 1930, had passed their expiry date for protection thereby allowing many competitors to copy their products without patent infringement. There were many imitators making copies of Stanley planes but Record never compromised on quality and it was not long before they were accepted by the woodworker of that time. Record Tools are still today a market leader.

Edward Preston and Sons Ltd, the Birmingham hand plane and rule manufacturer had fallen into financial difficulties in the early 1930s and was sold to John Rabone and Sons in October 1932. They found some products were not in their interest to manufacture, so on the 10th October 1934 C & J Hampton had taken over the manufacturing rights to hand planes, spoke-shaves, brass plumb bobs (1405) and beech mitre boxes (568). An August 1933 price list of Record tools included the following hand planes which were previously manufactured by Edward Preston and Sons; shoulder rebates 072, 073, 074 and bullnose rebates 076, 077, 077A. Seven more iron planes of Preston design were eventually included in the Record range; shoulder rebates 041 (1368) and 042 (1368A), 3 in 1 Bull Nose and shoulder rabbet plane (311), bull-nose rabbet plane 076 (1363), 077 (1355), 077A (92509), side rebate 2506 (2506) and 2506S (2506), in brackets are the Preston pattern numbers.

In 1961 Woden Tools Ltd was purchased from The Steel Nut and Josepth Hampton Limited. Record continued to use The Woden trademark for about ten years. Woden Tools aquired W.S. Tools Birmingham around 1952/3.

In 1963 Record Tool Company acquired an equal 50% interest with William Ridgway in William Marples and Sons Limited. This is when Record Tools moved to the Parkway Works, Sheffield.

On The 29th of September 1972 the company merged with William Ridgway to form Record Ridgway Tools Ltd and was made up off 14 UK Companies with 5 overseas companies. 1982 saw the takeover of Record Ridgway by AB Bahco of Sweden. This arrangement was short-lived, and a management buyout was announced in 1985 returning the company to British ownership to Record Holdings plc. In 1998 the board decided to accept an offer from American Tool Corp Inc. trading as Record Irwin.

The best examples of Record hand planes to collect are from 1931 to 1940 with rosewood handle and knob with the revolving disc on the lower end of the lateral lever. The planes produced during that time were listed as "Lever cap and small screws Nickel Plated" and also bull-nose planes, shoulder planes were nickel plated. Another good example to collect are the planes marked with

"WAR-FINISH". Some had rose wood handle and knob, most had selected hardwood (beech).

Good luck with your collecting

If any of the information on this web-site you think is incorrect please email with the correct information or information that's not on the site. Please let me know, I would only be to happy to include that information.

Parkway Works, Sheffield, England

The Centre of Record Tools

Bibliography

Record Tools A Reprint of Catalogue No. 15 of 1938 by Leslie Harrison ISBN 0904638146